


A King's Love

by WardenSabrae



Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M, Infidelity, mutual unrequited love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:48:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22259725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WardenSabrae/pseuds/WardenSabrae
Summary: Anora didn’t need the love of her husband, only his continued support and respect.And that’s what she told herself when she stepped into the Great Hall one late evening, looking for said husband, only to find him in the warm embrace of another.
Relationships: Alistair/Anora Mac Tir, Alistair/Female Warden (Dragon Age)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 30





	A King's Love

**Author's Note:**

> Pairing: Alistair/Warden, background Alistair/Anora  
> Prompt: ‘Accidentally Witnessed’ Kiss
> 
> A request from an anon on Tumblr~

* * *

Alistair never kissed her.

Not the way a man should kiss his wife, at least. At most he’s given her a chaste kiss on the cheek when in the presence of nobles and visiting dignitaries, and at the very least it was the occasional kiss on the hand before he bid her goodnight. He’d hold her hand in polite company, stood by her when she addressed the court, and occasionally the smile he gave her during their public outings was genuine and almost warm. 

He Just didn’t love her.

Anora wasn’t going to weep over it. She didn’t need the man to love her, so long as he respected and listened to her, and in their few years of marriage he’d always done so, in both public and private. But still, for all of Cailan’s flaws and shortcomings, Cailan had also been a friend, a friend she’d unexpectedly come to love during the course of their marriage. She’d loved that fool, and though she tried to hide it well, she still mourned his passing.

Alistair was not Cailan, no matter how much blood they might have shared. Alistair was charming, often as silly and lovable as her late husband had been, and on some days she would almost call Alistair a friend. 

But she wasn’t going to lie to herself; she might be a little fond of him, but she didn’t love him either.

Even so, she could admit that their marriage wasn't all bad. He didn’t dote on her, but he was never cruel to her, never tried to speak down to her. They had separate bed chambers, and tended to pass their free time separately. 

They also didn’t always agree, especially when it came to political matters, but Alistair was at least always willing to listen to her and often came to understand the points she was making, though sometimes she suspected that Alistair had simply given up on the arguments for the sake of letting her handle all of their political matters.

He did have a habit of pawning off the especially heavy and final decisions to her, but that didn’t bother Anora either. She carried the weight of the regency as she always had, because she was good at it. She was Ferelden’s beloved queen and Alistair was a hero of the Fifth Blight. They had the approval and support of the people, no matter what they felt (or rather, didn’t feel) towards each other.

Anora didn’t need the love of her husband, only his continued support and respect.

And that’s what she told herself when she stepped into the Great Hall one late evening, looking for said husband, only to find him in the warm embrace of another.

She is startled at first, though not completely surprised, and she knows who it is before she even sees the face of the woman currently in her husband’s arms. It was the only woman Alistair had ever truly loved: the Hero of Ferelden. 

Anora hadn’t seen the Warden-Commander in years, not since the darkspawn attack on Vigil’s Keep, and their parting words then had been the Warden asking Anora to watch over Alistair, to keep him as safe and happy as she could. Though she'd always suspected it, that was the moment that truly confirmed to Anora that the Warden had been no happier about her marriage to Alistair than she herself was.

Alistair had clearly been the love of her life, and giving him up had been the desperate act of a woman trying to reunite Ferelden for the sake of defeating the Blight. Anora had been there to see the heartbreak and regret burning in both of their eyes as the Warden left Denerim after the initial ceremonies following the Archdemon’s defeat, not even staying long enough to attend the wedding that she’d suggested, and Anora had actually found herself respecting the Warden even more for what she’d done.

But now she can see that what they’d shared during their adventures together was still there, even after the years apart, and Alistair held his true love now with a ferocity that Anora had never seen in him before.

Anora had never seen him smile so brightly like that, never known that he could kiss some with so much passion. She's never seen his entire self glowing with so much love and warmth that he looked a decade younger, and the affection burning in his eyes is only matched by the longing look on the Warden’s face.

It’s a deep, profound love Anora has only ever seen in others, and one she understands that she will probably never know.

Alistair says something to her when their kiss finally breaks, too quiet for Anora to hear, but whatever he says has the Warden laughing, and Anora watches Alistair grin before he leans down to rest his forehead against hers, closing his eyes as he whispers something before he kisses her again, with a gentle tenderness this time, and suddenly Anora feels a slight pang in her chest.

It’s not a pang of anger, sorrow, or resentment, but instead a pang of familiarity that once again has Anora seeing the resemblance between Alistair and Cailan. 

They were definitely more alike that she’d first suspected, and with that thought Anora closes her eyes and turns away, retreating from the chamber and leaving her husband and his love in the darkness behind her.

She didn’t need a King’s love. She never did.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> This was an interesting one to write, because while I really do love Anora, Alistair/Anora just makes me itch. I also don't really like King!Alistair..


End file.
